Juries Act 1981

Jury lists and panels

14B: Deferral of jury service

You could also call this:

"Delaying Jury Service: Asking to Do It Later"

You can ask to delay your jury service. The Registrar can let you delay it to a time that suits you better. This time must be between 8 weeks and 1 year after you were supposed to attend. You can only ask to delay your jury service if it would cause you or someone else a lot of trouble. The Registrar must be satisfied that delaying your jury service is necessary. You will need to apply in writing and explain why you need to delay it. The Registrar will consider things like your job, health, or family commitments when deciding. They will also think about whether you have trouble understanding English or have a disability. You can only delay your jury service once for each summons, and it cannot be a replacement summons under section 14C(1)(c). The Registrar can also consider other personal circumstances that might make it hard for you to serve on a jury, such as a special commitment or a serious inconvenience to the general public.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3297211.

This page was last updated on 24 February 2026 — View changes

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14AC: Counsel to inspect protected particulars, and exercise rights of challenge, for litigant in person, or

"A lawyer helps you with jury selection if you're going to court without one."

14C: Further provisions relating to deferral of jury service, or

"What happens if you delay serving on a jury"

14BDeferral of jury service

The Registrar may permit a person summoned to attend as a juror on an occasion to defer that person's attendance to serve as a juror to a time within a period that—
starts at least 8 weeks, and ends no later than 1 year, after the date on which the person is required to attend under the summons; and
is specified by the Registrar but lasts for at least 1 month; and
the person has indicated would be a more convenient period for the commencement of any jury service of that person that may result from the person having been summoned to attend as a juror.

However, the Registrar may exercise that power—
only in respect of a summons that is not a replacement summons under section 14C(1)(c); and
only once for each summons of that kind; and
only if satisfied, on a written application for the purpose made by or on behalf of that person, that, because of 1 or more matters specified in subsection (3), attendance on that occasion would cause or result in undue hardship or serious inconvenience to that person, any other person, or the general public.

The matters referred to in subsection (2)(c) (and in section 15(1A)(a) and (c)) are—
the nature of that person's occupation or business, or of any special and pressing commitment arising in the course of that person's occupation or business:
that the person has difficulties in understanding or communicating in the English language, so that they are not capable of acting effectively as a juror:
that person's disability:
that person's state of health, or family commitments, or other personal circumstances.

Notes

Section 14B: inserted, on 4 October 2010, by section 11(1) of the Juries Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 40).
Section 14B(2)(a): amended, on 14 November 2018, by section 144(1) of the Courts Matters Act 2018 (2018 No 50).
Section 14B(3)(aa): inserted, on 14 November 2018, by section 144(2) of the Courts Matters Act 2018 (2018 No 50).